Periodic cam-operated circuit breaker



Oct. 8, 1929. WAPPLER 1,730,988

PERIODIC CAM OPERATED CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Dec. 22, 1922 f1rsunsl IN VEN TOR Ram/040 H VJPPLEI? fi M 111,; ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 8, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REINHOLD H. WAPPLER, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WAPILER ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC., OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK PERIODIC CAM-OPERATED CIRCUIT BREAKER Application filed December 22, 1922. Serial No. 608,407.

My invention relates to periodic cam operated circuit breakers.

More particularly stated, my invention comprehends an improved interrupter of the type ust mentioned, admit-ting of general use, but specially adapted for breaking the primary circuit of a machine used for generating Faradic currents in the therapeutic treatment of diseases.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout all of the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of a machine provided with my improved interrupter.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section through the interrupter, as it appears immediately before the break takes place.

Figure 4 is a section similar to Figure 3, but showing the interrupter as it appears immediately after the break takes place.

Figure 5 is a diagram of the wiring.

A base 9 is provided with a hollow portion 10 and a bottomboard 11. Mounted upon the bottom board is a condenser 12. An inductance winding is shown at 14, and is mounted upon a thin core 15 of soft iron.

Two rotary switches are shown at 17 and 18, provided with revoluble contact arms 27 and 28, and with knobs 29 and 30, operable by hand.

i A double switch is shown at 31, and is actuated by hand. A pair of binding posts are shown at 32 and 32. An electric motor is shown at 33, and is provided with a pair of brushes 34 and 35, an armature 36 and a field magnet 37. The armature is carried by the armature shaft 38, which is provided with a worm 39, engaging a worm wheel 40. The worm wheel is connected with a contact brush 42, carrying a contact shoe 43. Located partially within the path of travel of the contact shoe 43 are a pair of sectors 44, of conducting material. These sectors and the various other parts mentioned constitute a rotary switch, designated as 46. This switch is of such form that while in action the contact shoe 43 alternately engages and disengages the sectors 44. For this purpose the contact spring 42 with its contact shoe 43 is carried around by the rotation of the worm wheel 40.

The switch 46 is mounted upon a plate 47 and this plate is connected with the frame work by means of a bolt 48. The plate 47 is provided with a slot 49 of arcuate form, and extending through this slot is a screw 50. The plate 47 may be rocked back and forth upon the bolt 48 as a center, within limits permitted by the length of the slot 49, as may be understood from Figure 2. Thus the worm wheel 50 is brought into and out of engagement with the worm 39. By this arrangement, by bringing the contact arm 42 into engagement with one of the sectors 44, and shifting the plate 47 by hand so as to leave the worm wheel 40 out of engagement with the Worm 39, the switch 46 as a whole may be short circuited and thrown out of action.

The armature shaft 38 is provided with a portion 51 of prismatic form and preferably having a triangular cross section, as indicated in Figures 3 and 4.

Located adjacent this part is a stationary post 52, extending vertically and provided with a hole through which loosely extends a thrust rod 53, provided with an extending portion 54 of reduced diameter. The portion 54 extends into close proximity to the prismatic portion 51 of the armature shaft. Two leaf springs 55 and 56, of the form shown more particularly in Figures 6 and 7, are mounted upon the post 52 by means of a screw 59. The leaf spring 55 is provided with a portion 57 of arcuate form, integral with it, and extending through a hole in the leaf spring 56. The portion 57 carries a hook 57 a of the form shown more particularly in Figure 3. The leaf spring 56 carries a contact point 58. A supporting arm 60 disposed adjacent the upper end of the leaf spring 56 carries a contact screw 62, adjustable by hand and provided with a contact point 61. The armature shaft rotates in such direction that the prismatic portion 51, shown in Figures 3 and 4, rotates in the direction indicated for it by the arrow in Figure 3, that is, in a clockwise di rection according to this figure.

The parts just described are so formed, proportioned and arranged that when the prismatic member 51 rotates as above described, the thrust rod 53 is repeatedly thrust endwise to the right according to these figures, and after each thrust is allowed to resume its former position. Each time the thrust rod 53 is thus moved to the right it causes the leaf spring 55 to flex, so that the hook 57 a is moved out of direct contact with the leaf spring 56, as indicated in Figure 3. This allows the leaf spring 56, which is always under tension, to flex to the right so as to bring the contact point 58 into engagement with the contact point 61, as indicated in Figure 3. As soon, however, as the portion 54'of the thrust rod 53 clears the adjacent corner or edge of the member 51, the thrust rod 53, under pressure of the leaf spring 55, is thrown to the left so that the portien 54 now extends out over the top of the member 51, as indicated in Figure. 4. By this arrangement the contact point 58 is abruptly moved out of engagement with the contact point 61, the break thus being made very suddenly. This is because the leaf spring 55, starting from the position indicated for it in Figure 3, is well in motion before the 11001; 57 in moving to the left according to Figure 3, picks up and carries with it the leaf spring 56. I find that. in practice the sharpness of the break can be regulated with great exactness.

The wiring diagram is shown in Figure 5, and includes two separate batteries 63 and 64, each of which may consist of a single dry cell, if it be desired to operate with a minimum of battery power.

The electrodes are shown at 65 and 66, and may be of any type suitable for use with apparatus of this kind. A wire 67 leads from the battery63 to the binding post 32, and from this binding post a conductor 68, such as a cord or cable, leads to the electrode 66. a similar cord or cable 68" leading from the binding post 32 to the electrode 65. A wire 70 leads from the leaf springs 55 and 56 to the rotary switch 46. Another wire 71 leads from the leaf springs 55 and 56 to the condenser 12. Connected with this condenser is a. wire 7 2,, which is also connected with a wire 73, these two wires being in communication with the contact screw 62. A wire 74 is connected with the motor brush 35, and leads therefrom to the arm 27 of the switch 17. From this switch a wire 78 leads to the left hand. connection of the double switch 31. Another wire 79 leads from the right hand member of this switch to the contact arm 28 of the switch 18. From the contact arm 28 of the switch 18 a Wire 80 leads to the inductance winding 14,- and from the latter a wire 81 leads to the contact arm 42 of the rotary switch 46. V

The circuit through the interrupter is as follows: battery 63, wire 7 6, right hand member of the double switch 31, Wire 79, switch 18, wire 80, inductance winding 14, wire 81, rotary switch 46, wire 7 0, leaf springs 55 and 56 of interrupter, contact points 58 and 61, contact screw 62, wire 73, binding post 32, conductor 68 electrode 65 to muscles to be treated, thence to electrode 66, conductor 68, binding post 32 and wire 67, back to battery 63. e 1

In connection with the circuit just traced the condenser 12 is bridged across the contact points 58 and 61 as above described, the connections being as follows: leaf springs 55 and 56., (theleaf spring 56 carrying the contact point 58) wire 71, condenser 12, and wire 72 to contact 62, carrying the contact point 61.

The operation of my improved interrupter be readily understood from the foregoing description. Except as otherwise above stated, its action is like that ofany other in terrupter.

I do not limit myself to the precise mechanism shown, as variations may be made. therein without departing from my invention the scope of, which is commensurate with my claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. An interrupter comprising a post provided with a hole extending through it, a thrust rod extendingthrough said hole and slidable relatively to said post, a revoluble shaft located. adjacent said thrust rod and having an angular cross section for the purpose of moving said thrust: rod endwise, a leaf spring, means for supporting said leaf spring, a pair of contact points one mounted upon said leaf spring and movable therewith, the other being normally stationary, said leaf spring being providedwith a slot, another leaf spring disposed adjacent said first mentioned leaf spring and provided with a. portion extending through said slot and carrying a hook, soarranged that whenever said second mentioned leaf spring is moved in one direction said hook. engages said leaf spring and bends said first mentioned leaf spring, said second mentioned leaf spring being disposed partially within the path of travel .of said thrust rod.

2. An interrupter comprising a normally stationary contact point, a leaf spring dis posed adjacent said contact point, a second contact point carried by said leaf spring and so positioned as to engage and disengage said first mentioned contact point when said leaf spring is moved back and forth, said leaf spring being alwaysunder tension and, thus having a tendency to cause the engagement of the contact points, a second leaf spring provided with a portion forengaging said first mentioned leaf spring so as to. pick up said first mentioned leaf spring and carry the same along and thereby to disengage the contact points, a thrust rod engaging said second mentioned spring, a post provided with a hole through which said thrust rod extends, said thrust rod being slidably supported by said post and free to move endwise in the direction of its length against said second leaf spring, and means for repeatedly pushing said thrust rod endwise.

3. An interrupter comprising a normally stationary contact point, a leaf spring disposed adjacent said contact point and carrying a second contact point for engaging the same, said leaf spring being provided with a slot, a second leaf spring disposed adjacent said first mentioned leaf spring and provided with a portion extending through said slot and carrying a hook, said second mentioned leaf spring being always under tension and thus having a tendency to pull said first men tioned leaf spring so as to cause said second mentioned contact point to disen age said first mentioned contact point, a t rust rod slidably mounted and abutting said second mentioned leaf spring, and mechanism for periodically pushing said thrust rod against said second mentioned leaf spring.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 18th day of December, 1922.

REINHOLD H. WAPPLER. 

